Learning our way out of the Recession
5 Feb 2009 12:22 PM
There has never been a better time to brush up on your skills and learning something new, and Learn at Work day, February 5th is the perfect opportunity.
Earlier this week the INOUdocumented record breaking figures for the Live Register and redundancies. The seasonally adjusted Live Register figure now stands at an all time high of 326,100. 'We're encouraged by this morning's statement by an Tánaiste Mary Coughlan ', said Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS. Earlier the Tánaiste announced possible new programmes for upskilling, and promised further measures to ensure that those on the live register receive the appropriate training and upskilling.
A number of workplaces around the country are participating in Learn at Work Day. Staff from the Cavan Adult Learning Centre are holding in a swap shop of skills - where employees can learn informally from each other. Meanwhile, Abbott Ireland is running a series of workshops for employees. Abbott Ireland is a division of Abbott Laboratories which currently has ten sites in Ireland, six of which are involved in manufacturing. All during the week the Sligo site is organising workshops and support for employees - from individual coaching sessions, to using internal resources and career guidance Abbott Vascular in Clonmel is using the opportunity to highlight the learning and development opportunities available on site, and is also encouraging creativity and productivity in the workforce through a Book Swap - encouraging colleagues to swap books with each other.
The funding of workplace learning and upskilling initiatives has been identified as a crucial area in future economic recovery. 'Upskilling, retraining and workplace learning are not only important for people in the current workforce, but for future generations as well, given that 60% of the 2020 workforce are now in employment', said Berni Brady, AONTAS Director. 'AONTAS has come across numerous examples of how workplace learning can help individuals move into alternative employment, or promotion, but also gives them a valuable safety net in the case of redundancy.'
Ireland compares poorly with other European countries when it comes to accessing adult education and training opportunities. Less than 8% of Irish adults between the ages of 25 and 64 participate in adult education and training opportunities, while in the UK and Scandinavian countries this figure is as high as 25%.
AONTAS has promoted the initiative through IBEC (The Irish Business and Employers Confederation) and ICTU (The Irish Congress of Trade Unions). ICTU has established a Union Skills Network, with Union Learning Representatives appointed to encourage and support workers to avail of further training and development.
The challenge of upskilling is enormous. By 2020, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Report recommends that 500,000 members of the workforce will need to be upskilled by at least one NFQ level. 'We must act fast - investing in adult learning now will pay huge dividends in the future,' Ms Brady concluded.
ENDS
